This staff development module is part of one of three groups of career guidance modules developed, field-tested, and revised by a six-state consortium coordinated by the American Institutes for Research. This module is the first in a series on developing a comprehensive career guidance program at the high school level, designed to aid guidance personnel responsible for developing student-focused programs. The goal of this module is to help the user understand various theories of career or vocational development and then apply these learnings to state the philosophy and assumptions of the career guidance program being designed through the course of the modules. The format of the module consists of an introductory overview, objectives, goals, outline, time schedule, glossary, readings, skill development activities, and bibliography. A Coordinator's Guide is also included with detailed instructions for presenting the module in a workshop setting, as well as the facilitator's roles and functions, and the criteria used in assessing the participants' achievement of module objectives. (Author/HLM)